The 690 Enduro R, KTM has created a hard Enduro bike for the 21st century. Unbeatable power, even better ridability, perfect technology and a thoroughbred off-road chassis make this bike an all-rounder with phenomenal Enduro qualities and extremely solid street riding behaviour. This Endura 690 R is the best bike I ever ride.
On paper the KTM just seemed a better option albeit a bit more pricey, especially the fact that the R version had more of an off-road bias. The BMW 650 X has been discontinued here in South Africa and the 450 was just too small for me.
After taking delivery I fitted a decent bash plate and Akropovic pipe. On day one a did about 250km of which half was a combination of very rocky paths up a mountain pass with some mud thrown in towards the bottom of the pass.
I felt like an absolute hooligan. The KTM was totally at home in the rough. The suspension was set a bit too hard and the bike bounced quite a bit up the rocks. I still need to figure out how to optimally configure the suspension. Otherwise the balance and handling was impressive. I never felt out of control – like I do on my sons CR250.
On the open road heading back home it easily managed 140km/h plus. But, without a decent screen, I can’t say it’s comfortable, the R version has NO screen.
At 100 to 120km/h it was fine. I was alarmed at how unstable the steering could get at high speed. I will definitely need to fit a stabilizer. I’m sure the off-road tyres play a big role in the lack of stability. The R comes standard with knobblies.
Everything else on the bike, the layout, controls, finish and general assembly is stunning.
Engine type
Single cylinder, 4-stroke Displacement
654 cc
Bore x stroke
102 / 80 mm (4.02 / 3.15")
Performance (homologated)
46.3 kW / 7500 rpm
Max. torque
64 Nm / 6000 rpm
Compression ratio
11.8:1
Starter/Battery
E-Starter / 12 V 8.6 Ah
Transmission
6 gears, dog clutch engagement
Fuel Mixture Generation
Keihin EMS with EPT (Electr. Power Throttle)